Oliver Lieb

by Jason BirchmeierThroughout the 90s, when German trance producer Oliver Lieb practically defined the genre, he produced tracks under a countless array of names, the most successful being L.S.G. and Spicelab. The Frankfurt, Germany, producers recording career began in 1989 with Force Legatos System, and first began to blossom in 1992. He was recording for a number of labels at the time under a host of monikers. However, it was the Quicksand 12 released on Harthouse Records under the name Spicelab that became Liebs first big success. A year later, in 1993, he had another successful release, Fragile, this time on the Superstition label under the name L.S.G. Where the Spicelab tracks are epic, dark, and a bit ambient, the L.S.G. tracks are more dancefloor-orientated and more melodic — essentially the prototype for late-90s Hooj Choons-style trance. Lieb released little music under his born name, one of those few releases being the 1994 Constellation full-length. He began using his born name more frequently once he became widely known, beginning with Subraumstimulation in 1999.